Marine tram.



No. 647,444. Patented A ia m, 1900. E. w. JOHNSTON.

MARINE TRAM.

(Application filed Nov. 28, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I,

(No Model.)

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No. 647,449. Patented Apr, l0, I900.

E. W. JOHNSTON.

MARINE TRAIL (Application filed Nov. 28, 1699.)

(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheat 2.

WITNESSES: //v VENTOR ATTORNEY THE mama PETERS co. PHOYO-LITHO.,vusummu. o. c

UNITED STATES PATENT )FFIcE.

ELIAS W. JOHNSTON, OF SEATTLE, \VASHINGTON.

MARINE TRAM.

srncIFIcA'rIon forming part of Letters Patent No. 6i7,44.9, dated April10, 1906. Application filed November 28, 1899. Serial No. 738,601. (Nomodel.)

To all 1071,0711, it may concern;

Be it known that I, ELIAS W. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of Kingand State of Washington, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Marine Trams, of whichthe 'following is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to marine cargo-transfers; and its object is toprovide convenient means for loading or discharging cargoes of vesselsfrom ashore over a shallow beach which necessitates the vessel lying ata great distance from the shore.

Gargoes have heretofore under the above conditions been handled insmooth water by lighters lying alongside the vesselbein g operated uponand having the said lighters towed or hauled to and from the vessel. Iam aware that cables carrying suspended buckets have been utilized, but,as will be readily apparent, the scope of operation, due to the saggingof said cable under loads, is limited to short distances, and to preventthe buckets striking the water the terminals are elevated to as high analtitude as possible, and in the raising of which terminals isdetrimental from the fact that even slight rolling of the vesels inducedby sea-swells causes the mast to which the cable is engaged to oscillateto a degree sufficient to interfere in the operating of such a system.My invention is designed to overcome these objectionable features by theuse of an endless cable driven at a comparativelyslow speed and designedto haul to and from a vessel at short intervals pontoons which not onlyfurnish means for conveying the cargo, but also support the said cable,and instead of having to load or discharge these pontoons alongside ofthe ship, as by the present lighterage system, they are hauled directlyupon the deck of the vessel or upon the shore, as the case may be, andthe cargo handled with no inconvenience to the stevedores.

My invention further consists in certain combinations and arrangementsof parts, which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in theclaims;

The accompanying drawings, in which similar letters refer to'like partsin the several views, clearly illustrate the manner of construct-ing andusing my invention.

is a plan view, showing my improved manner of arranging transfermechanism. Fig. 3 is a vertical side view, and Fig. 4 is a vertical endview of a cargo and cable carrying pontoon with cable connectionsthereon. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective View of the end of a pontoonwith preferred form of cable-securing arrangement and also detachingdevice, and Fig. 6 is a vertical end view of another form of.cable-securing arrangement.

In the drawings, A represents an endless cable led around thedriving-drum a and fairleaders a, and from thence to pulleys B B,suspended from a mast H upon the vessel S and supported and kept at adistance apart by the spreader b, that the said pulleys B will lead thecable A over the apron-rollways F, hereinafter referred to.

The spreader b, to which the pulleys B are attached, is secured to themast by hook or lashing, so as to be readily cast off when it is desiredthat the vessel weigh anchor, and I provide a connecting-line 0, leadingto windlass or capstan c on a large pontoon or float D, permanentlymoored near the ship anch0=- age, to haul the detached off-shore end ofthe gear to be stowed away upon float.

The cargo and cable carrying pontoons E (shown separately in Figs. 3 and4) are made, preferably, as shown, with hatch-coversW to seal the samewater-tight. These pontoons are attached to the cable A while it is inmotion by throwing the cable within the jaws of the forked supports J,positioned near the extremities of said pontoons and at a height,preferably, that the lower part of forks will be in line even with orlower than the sur face of said hatch-cover for the purpose of assistingin holding down the said hatchcover, and after the cable is dropped intosaid forks hooks K are caught upon cable, deflecting it from arightline, causing a tension upon the forked supporting members andhauls the pontoon with said cable.

The pontoons E are uncoupled upon the shore and ship for loading ordischarging purposes by a trip, (shown in Fig. 6,) consisting of an armL, fulcruined at m, with handle M, and a pin N, adapted to engage withthe hook K when by a backward movement of arm to position indicated bybroken lines K the Figure 1 is a vertical side View, and Fig. 2

hook is thrown from the cable, thus disconnecting the pontoon from thecable.

In Fig. 6 I show a form of gripping device that may be substituted forthe above, in which the cable is forced down'and held Within the fork pof standard P by a lever R, ful crumed at Q and' having aspring-actuated lock-bolt T engaging in notch'U. R shows lever thrownback, thereby releasing the cable. F F are apron-rollways for conveyingpontoons over the bulwarks of the vessel, and ff are rollways for takingpontoons from the Water on shore. Between rollWays F F and extended toeither side thereof upon the deck of the vessel isa system ofcross-rolls or skids G to transfer the pontoons E for loading or to thereturn portion of cable. The operation of these parts may be readilygathered from the foregoing description and is so obvious that a furtherexplanation of it is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire tosecure byLetters Patent, is- I 1. In a'device of the characterdescribed, a drum, an endless cable wound thereabout, means forspreading the cable to form an elongated loop said loop adapted to besecured to a'vessel, pontoons capable of engaging the cable, andinclinedapron-rolls near the ends of the loop to support the pontoons,substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, a drum, an endless cableWound thereabout, means for spreading the cable to form an elongatedloop, the one end of said loop adapted to be secured to a vessel,pontoons capable of removably engaging the cable,inclined-apronrollsnear the ends of the loop to support the pontoons, and means fordisengaging the pontoons from the cable, on arriving at the apronrolls,substantially as described.

3. In a device of the character described, a drum, an endless cablewound thereabout, means for spreading the cable to form an elongatedloop, the one of said loops adapted to be secured to a vessel, pontoonsprovided at both ends with means for engaging the cable,hatchcovers onthe pontoons at a greater elevation than the engaging means, and adaptedto have the cable bear thereon, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the characterdescri bed, a pontoon, upright forksprovided near-the ends thereof, a hatch-cover of greater elevation thanthe forks, a cable passing through the forks and over the hatch-cover,and hooks 011 the ends of pontoon adapted to engage the cable,substantially as described.

5. In a device of the character described, a suitably-driven cable, apontoon, a hook secured to the pontoon and engaging the cable incombination with a pivoted hand-lever and a pin on the hand-lever fordisengaging the hook from the cable, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ELIAS W. JOHNSTON.

Viitnesses PIERRE BARNES, ERNEST E. GlLMERl

